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Studio / Plans / 10 m² · Vocals and beats · Starter

10 m²: a room for vocals and beats

Top view · 1 square = 0.5 m · room 3.1 m wide × 3.2 m long

The plan

  1. 1Your chairStart at 38% of the room’s length from the front wall, then move a little and listen. That is Wes Lachot’s rule as RealTraps gives it; Genelec says the front third and 1 m from every wall. Never sit exactly halfway.
  2. 2MonitorsAn equilateral triangle with your head, here about 1 m a side, tweeters at ear height and close to the wall behind them: Genelec wants the front under 0.6 m from it, ADAM 10 to 50 cm.
  3. 3First reflectionsPanels where a mirror on the side wall would show you a speaker (the mirror method).
  4. 4Bass trapsEvery room mode peaks in the corners. Only deep traps work there: thin foam does little below a few hundred hertz.
  5. 5Ceiling cloudOne panel above the triangle, halfway between you and the speakers (RealTraps).
  6. 6Back wallAbsorb or scatter; keep it from bouncing straight back.
  7. 7Vocal spotFace into the room, back to the soft side, mic away from the desk.

The numbers are computed from the room’s size by the page, not drawn by eye.

Buy these first

01An audio interface with two inputsOne for the mic, one for a guitar or synth.Audio interfaces → 02A pair of small monitors4 to 5 inch is a sensible start at a 1 m listening distance. A starting point, not a rule.Monitors → 03Four absorber panelsTwo at the side reflections, two behind you.Cables & acoustics →

Skip these

  • The desk in a corner (bass piles up, the image goes lopsided)
  • Egg boxes or thin foam as treatment
  • Monitors flat on the desk (it reflects; use stands)
  • Your chair exactly halfway down the room

One scale for every plan · the chair at 38% and the 4–5″ monitor size are starting points · every room size · plan your own room

Sources, checked 2026-10-08: RealTraps, room setup (38% rule, facing down the long side, halfway null) · Genelec, monitor placement (60° triangle, front third, 1 m from walls, symmetry) · Genelec, room acoustics (wall distance, corner gain) · ADAM Audio, positioning (1 m minimum spacing, wall distance, corners) · Dynaudio, positioning (desk reflections, stands) · Sound On Sound, porous absorbers (foam depth, egg boxes) · Neumann, choosing nearfields (monitor size by listening distance).